Cy-Fair grad Hayden Wesneski traded to Cubs by Yankees

Cy-Fair baseball standout Hayden Wesneski was traded to the Chicago Cubs from the New York Yankees.

The trade was announced by both teams Monday ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline. The righthander was sent to Chicago in exchange for rookie reliever Scott Effross.

Wesneski, a 6-3, 210-pounder, is currently the 8th-ranked prospect in the Cubs’ farm system, according to MLB.com.

MLB.com describes Wesneski as a pitcher that “pounded the strike zone throughout his college career and has continued to do so in pro ball, even as his stuff has made a leap forward. He’s deceptive, too, and hitters don’t get good swings against him and struggle to lift the ball when they do make contact. His competitive demeanor is another asset and he could help Chicago in the big leagues in the near future.”

Wesneski, 24, is a 2016 Cy-Fair graduate and played college baseball at Sam Houston from 2017-19. He was originally picked by Tampa Bay in the 33rd round back in 2016 but opted for Sam Houston State, where he amassed a 25-9 record with a 3.56 ERA.

Wesneski led all D1 freshman players with 10 wins in 2017. Two years later, he set a Sam Houston record with 110 strikeouts. He was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2019 draft.

He began his professional career in High-A Hudson Valley and progressed to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre by the end of the season. He was promoted to Somerset before advancing to Scranton in 2021.

Wesneski went 11-6 overall with a 3.25 ERA in 24 starts across all three teams. He threw two complete games, one of them a shutout, and posted 151 strikeouts to 36 walks.

In 2022, Wesneski had a 6-7 record to go with a 3.51 ERA in 19 starts across 89.2 innings at Scranton.

He has a two-seam fastball, four-seamer, slider and changeup in his arsenal. He was the No. 5 ranked prospect in the Yankees’ farm system in February, according to prosectslive.com.

Prospectslive.com summarizes Wesneski as someone who could make an impact on an MLB team’s starting rotation.

“Quality pitch mix with two plus offerings and plus command gives Wesneski the chance to be a quality back-of-the-rotation major league starter. After the missed 2020 covid season, he was one of the many breakout Yankees prospects who shot up through the system. Dominating across all three levels (A+, AA, AAA). Moving forward, Wesneski will look to continue building off his 2021 breakout season by continuing to refine his arsenal and pitch mix.”

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